Preview: Bosch’s 36V (Hammer) Drill/Driver
By Chuck Cage
Today Bosch released four “kits” — a drill/driver and hammer drill/driver with various combinations of batteries — that make use of their new flexible power system (FPS). The FPS lets you select between a “SlimPack” 1.3 Ah battery to lighten the tool for shorter jobs or a 2.0 Ah “FatPack” for the longest possible runtime. Bosch says that thanks to li-ion power, even the SlimPack offers 15% longer runtime over other NiCd 18V tools.
Both drill/drivers bring 600 in-lb of torque to the table.
The kits come in the following FPS combinations:
- The Drill/Driver w/2 SlimPacks (Bosch #38636-01)
- The Hammer Drill/Driver w/1 SlimPack & 1 FatPack (Bosch #18636-01)
- The Hammer Drill/Driver w/2 FatPacks (Bosch #18636-02)
- And the Hammer Drill/Driver w/2 SlimPacks (Bosch #18636-03)
Bosch also tacked on their “Brute-Tough” name to the new drivers, which means Bosch claims they’ll survive multiple 10-ft drops onto concrete due to their shock absorbing ABS/Nylon blend external housing, steel-reinforced collar front end, and all-metal gearbox.
Look for a Toolmonger hands-on with these monsters in the near future.
November 14th, 2006 at 5:24 pm
I like the concept of small and large battery packs, but we’ll see how it holds up in the real world. The small ones must run pretty hard to put out the current for a tool like this, and the harder you push a battery, the fewer cycles you get out of it before it won’t hold a charge anymore.
Now, if Ridgid were offering this, I’d be all over it.
Lifetime batteries? Sure, run ‘em beyond the cellmaker’s specs, I don’t care! But if I’d be on the hook for replacement, I’d have to be doing a *lot* of shoulder-wrenching work to justify taking the chance on underpowered packs.
November 18th, 2006 at 2:32 pm
[...] Preview: Bosch’s 36V (Hammer) Drill/Driver This updated drill/driver from Bosch features their new Flexible Power System (FPS), which allows you to select from “SlimPack” or “FatPack” batteries to lighten the tool when you don’t need maximum runtime. It’s also seriously powerful drill/driver, delivering 600 in-lb of torque. It’s available in lots of different “kits” including varying combinations of FPS batteries. [...]
November 19th, 2006 at 6:04 pm
“600 in-lb of torque” — correct me if I’m wrong, but this isn’t a meaningful statement; in-lb expresses work (e.g., moving 6lb 100 inches), not torque. Do you mean lb-in?
March 14th, 2007 at 2:05 pm
There is no difference between the two ratings. Torque is force * distance from the axis. The terms are multiplied together, so they both mean the same thing. Work is a little different because both have to be vector quantities.
You right though, it IS a meaningless statement because it doesn’t say at what RPM the torque is produced, so you can’t calculate the power of the motor and actually compare it to other brands
November 16th, 2007 at 11:07 am
[...] We previewed Bosch’s 36V drill/driver, a monster that we’ve had in long-term test for a year now. Look for a massive not-to-be-missed hands-on soon. A preview of the hands-on: this is a bad-ass drill that’ll take one hell of a beating. Ours has blood on it. Really. [...]
January 4th, 2008 at 2:15 am
I am impressed. Where can I get in India?